Dear Sarah - your questions answered

Recently the number and variety of questions that I have been asked about food, exercise and weight management have significantly increased. This means that there are many more people out there who have the same query but have yet to ask someone help or may not have even considered a particular thing to be a possible cause of weight gain until they read this blog.

So from this week forward I will use this Friday blog to answer just some of the many queries that I have had, starting with a query earlier this week about soy products.

The woman in question told me that she had had some symptoms that seemed hormonal and assumed that it was the beginning of the perimenopause and so she had started to consume a variety of soy products because they contain phyto-oestrogen. As it transpired it was another cause which was treated but the woman has continued with the soy products believing them to be good for her. She wanted to know what I thought about them.

Not all soy is equal and even the countries in which soy has always been consumed eat less of it than we currently do. A small amount of soy may be good for our health but in larger amounts, especially in the form of soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein can have negative effects on our health. Some of the chemicals naturally occurring in soy can block the uptake of minerals and can reduce gastric digestion. In one study done in 1991 in Japan it was found that 2 tablespoons a day results in an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone which actually reduces the amount of circulating thyroxin causing fatigue, lethargy and goitre (swollen thyroid gland in the neck). There some other rather concerning possible side-effects that would suggest that only a small amount of soy is consumed on a regular basis.

The best soy products are miso, tofu, temph and other fermented soy products which can usually be found in health food shops and in some supermarkets.

If you would like your question answered please write it below or email me at:
sarah@beautifullybalanced.com.au

love
Sarah

Weight management Wednesday - why consider exercise?

When we are in our 20s and 30s we can get away with eating sugar and fat in our diet in moderation and forget all about exercising. Many people enjoy exercising at every age but there are also quite a few of us who have never really made it a habit. If we gain a few kilos we stay away from chocolate for a few weeks and swap biscuits for fruit and then we loose the weight, our clothes fit and we return to our normal habits.

Until we hit 40. Or there abouts. Life may begin at 40 but so does weight gain and staying away from chocolate and swapping biscuits for fruit doesn't seem to make much of a difference. The weight gain is usually slow but it is there. There are all sorts of chemical reasons for this and these will be explored and discussed in coming months but the basic format is that we need to change our habits. A 'diet' may work in the short-term but for long-term weight management we need to think smarter than a quick fix diet.

Weight loss diets can actually cause people to gain weight. AGH! Once we hit 40, or there abouts, we need to not only change our eating habits but increase, or in my case start, the exercise we choose. Before you join the nearest gym and deck yourself out in the latest Lycra fashion (an oxymoron if ever there was one) there are many other ways to exercise. What do you enjoy doing that is active? I once read about a woman who lost her excess weight and maintained her weight by window shopping every lunch time. She would put on some comfortable shoes and spend an hour walking to and from the shops and enjoying choosing what she would buy in the sales or when she reached her target weight or any other reason that kept her window shopping. So work out what you would enjoy enough to keep doing which may be several different types of activities or mastering one.

Me? I am off to buy some gym shoes for my dancing classes next month.

Enjoy eating smarter not less

love
Sarah

Feeling great Fridays - life and weight gain begin at 40

 Several years ago a group of us were sat around the office table having lunch when the topic of weight gain entered the conversation. As we were all women in our 40s this sort of conversation was likely to crop up at some time when we were all together.

We all complained that in our 20s and 30s any additional weight had been easily lost with a week or so of careful eating but once we hit our 40s there appeared to be ongoing insidious weight gain and no amount of careful eating was working in the long-term. We had all tried various diets, all of them claiming to be the one true answer to our weight management. And they had all helped us to loose a few kilos but only in the short- term. Without fail, all of us had then returned to the starting weight and then endured the ignominy of additional weight gain on top.

What was going on? Had we started to eat more without realising it? Had we started to eat more weight enhancing food? For most of us it was a combination. One woman had a daughter who had started working in a local bakery. She brought home delicious buns and bread at the end of her shift because it would be thrown out otherwise. The rest of us had very busy lives fitting in work, children's activities and extra circular activities and in between we ran the house and frequently grabbed a snack on our way out to yet another band practise/sporting event/school debate/parent-teacher interview. But now we were fighting a new problem: perimenopause.

The perimenopause begins with the very first symptom that indicates a slowing down of hormone production and continues to pick up the pace until the menopause and the cessation of periods. Amongst many signs and symptoms it can cause weight gain which becomes more difficult to manage.

There are ways to manage weight after the age of 40 and they involve understanding the way the body works at a cellular level. A simple basic way to start to manage weight is to go back to nature and eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetable and reduce all processed and sugary foods.

For more information follow this blog or contact me on 0410 249 136

Get the most out of life after 40

Sarah

Feeling great Wednesday - the benefits of dancing

One cold and snowy winter during the school holidays I spent several afternoons enjoying Fred and Ginger strut their stuff during an array of films that always had them break into a dance at any given opportunity. There was singing as well but it was the dancing that captivated my teenage mind and imagination.

I have never had any formal dance lessons and my dancing was restricted to the discos of the late 1970s and early 80s. It was always less freestyle that I would have liked because I was desperate to fit in and that meant conforming to the styles of the time. Fortunately the likes of John Travolta gave people like me slightly more options than just shuffling from foot to foot. On the other hand, no-one likes a show-off.

After all these years I am about to take dancing lessons and learn the Lindy Hop. Hopefully having poor balance and coordination won't hinder me too much. As I prepare by purchasing some gym shoes which apparently are the best footwear to learn in because your foot needs to be able to slide across the floor, I have been researching the benefits of dancing. I knew of some of the benefits but there were even more.

1. Physical benefits include improved lung and heart function, improved digestion and metabolism, increased levels of fitness, stronger bones, muscles and joints, improved sleep and weight management.
2. Neurological benefits include improved intellectual function, improved memory and reduced risk of developing dementia.
3. Emotional benefits include releasing large amounts of endorphins (feel good hormones) from the physical activity, the music and the social interactions and from the immense fun that dancing provides.

Any form of dancing on a regular basis provides all these benefits, so put on your favourite song or join a class and let the good times roll.

warmest wishes
Sarah

Foodie Friday - 3 ways to cope with weight loss sabatours

Imagine this. You have successfully changed your eating style and are 5 kgs nearer to your goal weight. You have noticed that your clothes fit better and you have started to receive complimentary comments about your slimmer figure. It is all going well and you don't crave cake and chocolate every day anymore.

And then a friend at the office who has complimented you on your weight loss brings in a large chocolate cake for morning tea. She is quite insistant that you have a slice and you don't want to hurt her feelings and at the same time you don't want to eat the cake either. If you eat the cake you could want more as your body has a sugar rush and you would like to continue to work towards your next 5 kgs goal.

How do you say'no' and keep your friend?

There are 3 possible solutions that will create a 'win/win' for you and your friend (and this also works for family members) and you may want to use all 3 in the coming months as friends and family become used to the slimmer you.

1. Thank the friend for bringing the cake and explain to her that because you are still working towards your goal every mouthful counts and you really appreciate her understanding in this matter.
2. For concerned partners you can tell them how much you love them and that their support has always made a difference and you need it now as much as ever. Ask them to be your accountability buddy and suggest a joint celebration each time you reach a goal such as a night out together and a holiday away when you reach your final goal weight.
3. For friends that continue that continue to push you to eat or drink something you can explain that you are happy to be with them and that they can eat and drink what ever they want but that only you choose what you will eat and drink. 

Continue to enjoy your success and please add your suggestions for ways to cope with weight loss sabatours in the comment box below.

to your success
Sarah

Wellness Wednesday - is your 'to do' list helpful or painful?

A few years ago I was having a life coaching session during which my coach asked me about my day. I explained that I was very organised and created a 'to do' list most days. The problem was that I never managed to complete it and always went to bed worried about what I hadn't finished, which would needed to be added to the list the next day. Over the years the list had grown to the point where it would need an army of workers to complete it in a single day or even a week.

The coach asked me what was on the list so I wrote out the first 20 or so items and handed it to him. He smiled. Then he asked "Where are your items? The things that you like to do for fun, for relaxation or for pleasure?"

I was a bit confused. I was already overwhelmed with things to do so why would I add anything else to it? How could I possible stop doing all those necessary things and spend some time on me with so much to do every day? How could I enjoy doing something for me knowing that this huge list would still be waiting for me when I had done something that was just for me?

His answer was simple. We all need to take some time every day to recharge our batteries. A bit like being on a plane and putting on your oxygen mask first because you can't help anyone else if you pass out from lack of oxygen.

And so it is for all of us. If we don't take some time for ourselves every day we will burn out and metaphorically run out of oxygen. Just 30 minutes all for you, with a book or a long soak in the bath, doing something creative or having coffee with a friend recharges our batteries and helps us to breath fully so that we can get on with our lists.

Share your ways of spending some 'me time' in the comment section below.

Have fun
Sarah

Foodie Friday - 3 people who sabotage weight loss

Does this sound familiar? You are doing really well with your new eating plan and people have started to notice that you are changing shape. They may even comment on how great you look. And then they start to offer you cake.

There is always a reason that they are offering you a slice of cake. Maybe it is someones birthday, they are celebrating an event in their lives such as the cat having kittens, or just because it is Monday, or Friday or any other reason they can think of to feed you cake.

Why would they do this? Do they want you to go back to the beginning again? The short answer is 'Yes' but it isn't quite that simple.

There are several reasons why people who like and love you will attempt to sabotage your diet and whilst there are lots of reasons in their minds, the actual reason usually falls into one of three categories:

• Reality has hit them between the eyes because they also want to loose weight and you are reminding them of this. Subconsciously they decide that if they keep you at the same weight they won't feel so bad about putting off doing something about their weight.
• Fear about you changing. This may sound strange but subconsciously they are scared that if you change on the outside you may also change on the inside, which could mean that you change how you feel about being friends/in a relationship with them. 
• Confusion about why you would want to change how you look. They like and/or love you just as you are so why would you want to change? They may also have the type of body make-up which means that they have never had to worry about weight gain or weight loss and so they want you to be able to eat all your favourite foods and to forget about changing to a new way of eating.

Nearly everyone who tries to sabotage your diet is working from deep subconscious feelings rather than conscious awareness. It isn't done with intent to harm you but rather to protect themselves.

Fortunately there are various ways in which you can maintain your friendships and relationships and still stick to your new way of eating to enjoy easy and permanent weight loss. More of this next week.

If you have any queries or would like an answer to your particular situation you can place a question in the comment box below or email me at sarah@beautifullybalanced.com.au

wishing you success in 2014
Sarah

Wellness Wednesday - a short walk

For a week during the festive season we dog sat for a lovely little King's Charles Spaniel. This meant a daily walk. Our little guest is friendly, keen and loves her morning walk so every day for a whole week I put on my sunglasses, a hat and a bit of sunblock and off we went.

She enjoys a twenty minute fast walk in the local area, as we live one road away from a lovely park. By the time we were walking back to the house her pace had slowed a little and so had mine. She showed me how to really enjoy a walk, stopping to look and enjoy various trees, although not in quite the same way.

After the first few days I started to look forward to the walks as much as she did. This shouldn't have surprised me as there is lots of evidence about the benefits of walking, even a short daily walk of just twenty minutes. By the time she went home I had decided that I would continue my daily walk however it might be a bit lonely without her.

Thank goodness for technology and the ability to listen to music with such ease. I dug out my ipod and with the help of one of my children, I now have literally hundreds of songs to listen to. Without any cost or fuss I can enjoy the benefits of a daily walk, enjoying being outside and moving.

If you would like more information on the benefits of walking there is lots to check out including:
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/8-astonishing-benefits-of-walking

Looking forward to hearing all about your walking stories, so please comment below.

warmest wishes
Sarah